Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Involuntary Hosptal admission

Sorry guys, the audio post below was cut off mid-sentence. I thought you were allowed 5 full minutes on these things. Was I speaking for 5 minutes?? I think not, but I'll have to check.

Anyways, to finish off what I was saying: According to South Africa's Mental Health Care Act of 2002, you can be admitted to a mental hospital involuntarily if a qualified psychiatrist determines various things (listen to audio post for details).

But once in on an involuntary basis how do you get out?? According to the Act: Only when the hospital head determines that you no longer suffer from a mental illness. (listen to audio post for full details).

??????????????????
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From my business years I've had plenty experience with contracts, clauses and legalities. I can therefore tell you confidently that in terms of these clauses, a BiPolar sufferer could be locked up in hospital against their wish, and then NEVER allowed to leave because they never "got over their mental illness".

Man, that's a fkcn dangerous position for us dudes to be in.

5 comments:

  1. ok now THAT would be some serious "stay on your meds" motivation

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  2. I chose the "never be examined by a psychiatrist" route years ago, after being semi-voluntarily admitted by my father. What a kick in the pants that was. I ended up switching careers out of necessity.

    By the way BPG, have you ever investigated the instigating effect of political upheaval on your manic episodes? My first truly manic (meaning worthy of hospitalization) phase came just weeks after the government of Ontario, of which my hometown Toronto is the capital, ended forty years of conservative rule. My second manic episode worthy of hospitalization was ten years later, less than a year after the conservatives returned to power with new programs and initiatives that prompted general outrage in the arts and education communities in which I work. Perhaps the more massive political changes under way in South Africa at the time of your hospitalization had more than a little to do with your "going mad".

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  3. what the hell?
    sometimes i'd welcome hospitalisation though.
    nevermind id ont know what i'm talking about.

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  4. I worked at the Sowetan newspaper for many years. One of the old journos, Mike Phalane had been caught stealing a record in the seventies from Kohinoor (a famous jazz shop in Johannesburg).When it went to court he pleaded insanity and was put into Sterkfontein (another famous institution) and has been there ever since. Needless to say he is completely insane now. He shared a room with Tsafendas, the guy who assasinated Verwoerd. He used to write me letters and his writing was six inches high. It broke my heart - not only a wasted life but a wasted talent. It really is true that there is the possibility that you never get out - scary!

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  5. Yeah, I would be in there forever.

    Although, they would have to find me first.

    Raine - man do I agree. Just a question though, why do we go off of them?

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